“Hellions” #6 reveals that a select group of mutants are the biggest losers of “X of Swords,” having lost more than most of the contestants.
WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Hellions #6 by Zeb Wells, Carmen Carnero, David Curiel, VC’s Ariana Maher, and Tom Muller, available now.
“X of Swords” has been rough on all of Krakoa, but Hellions #6 shows the titular team being devastated worse than any of the other mutants. After learning that their desperate mission to steal Arakko’s swords was really just a ruse for Mister Sinister to pursue his own goals, the Hellions found themselves in two brutal battles, first with a group of grotesque mutants from Amenth and then with Sinister himself. By the end of the issue, the entire team was wiped out, and given the problems that Krakoa has been having with resurrections during “X of Swords”, at least some of the fallen may be gone for good.
At the beginning of Hellions #6, the Hellions arrive in Arakko after a long and painful journey. They are soon greeted by Tarn the Uncaring, who seems to essentially be an Amenthian equivalent of Sinister. He informs the Hellions that they have failed in their mission, as the tournament between Krakoa and Arakko has already begun, before reading Sinister’s mind, in which he discovers the mad scientist’s true goal. Sinister was really hoping to collect genetic samples from the mutants of Arakko.
The Hellions are enraged to learn their mission was a lie but have little time for argument as Tarn soon summons his own team of mutants, known as Locus Vile, and orders them to kill the Krakoans. Nanny is quickly eliminated, leading Orphan-Maker to make a vengeful last stand before he too is killed. Empath flees and both of Havok’s hands are cut off. As Greycrow and Psylocke make a desperate attempt to extract him, Sinister gives Psylocke a collection of samples his drones took from the members of Locus Vile, claiming they are of vital importance to Krakoa. Hoping to please Psylocke, Wild Child sacrifices himself to cover his teammates’ retreat. Before fleeing, Empath releases Greycrow from the mental control he placed him under last issue. When Greycrow caught up with his sociopathic teammate, he stabbed him in the stomach as payback, forcing him to crawl his way back through the Krakoan gate before bleeding out.
Greycrow, Psylocke, and Havok made it back to Krakoa but were then betrayed again by Sinister, who attacked and violently killed the remaining Hellions before collecting the samples. Empath barely made it back through the gate before dropping dead. Sinister then feigned sadness while informing the rest of Krakoa that the Hellions are dead.
Sinister betraying his fellow Krakoans has always felt inevitable, and the Hellions’ instability has limited their efficiency as a team since the beginning. Still, that doesn’t make their deaths any less devastating, especially given how the conflict with Arakko has impacted Krakoa’s ability to resurrect mutants. Havok, Psylocke, Greycrow, and Empath were on Krakoan soil when they died, so it’s likely the Five might still be able to bring them back, but Nanny, Orphan-Maker, and Wild Child were still in Otherworld so the same can’t be said for them. Given all three characters’ relative obscurity it certainly seems possible their deaths may be permanent.